Jamie Oliver’s ‘special’ cheesy pasta bake recipe is perfect for a quick and easy dinner
This cheesy comfort dinner is "loved all over Italy" according to Jamie Oliver as not only does it does amazing but is incredibly easy to prepare.
A big bowl of cheesy pasta is the ultimate comfort food, and there is a simple way to turn it into a delicious bake to enjoy as a hearty dinner.
Jamie Oliver’s baked tomato cheese pasta bake may sound simple but it is a mouthwatering and authentic Italian recipe which is popular to eat at the weekends.
On his website, Jamie said: “This pasta dish is loved all over Italy. It is eaten by families at gatherings or celebrations and is also something the monks I visited at the Abbazia di Farfa, just outside Rome, have every Sunday as a special lunch.”
However, this tasty dinner can be eaten any time of the week as a quick and easy dinner that is perfect to make for a family or as a big group dish.
It only takes about 10 minutes to prepare this dish before leaving the sauce to simmer for 20 minutes, then just pop it into the oven and it only takes 15 minutes to cook.
How to make an Italian pasta bake
Ingredients
- 1.5kg of tomatoes or three (400g each) tins of plum tomatoes
- 400g of pasta (preferably orecchiette)
- One or two dried red chillies
- Two garlic cloves (finely sliced)
- Three mozzarella balls
- One white onion (chopped)
- One large handful of fresh basil leaves
- Four big handfuls of parmesan cheese (grated)
- One tablespoon of red wine vinegar (optional)
- Extra virgin olive oil
Method
To make the sauce:
Preheat the oven to 200C and heat a couple of lugs of olive oil in a frying pan.
Add the onions, garlic and chilli to the frying pan and slowly fry for about 10 minutes on a medium heat until softened but not crispy or brown yet.
If using fresh tomatoes, Boil a large pot of salted water. remove the core of the tomatoes with a knife and add them to the boiling water for roughly 40 seconds until their skin begins to come away, then remove with a slotted spoon.
Add your fresh or canned tomatoes to the frying pan alongside a small glass of water, then bring to a boil and let the sauce simmer for around 20 minutes.
Once the time is up, blend everything with a food processor or hand blender to make a smooth sauce.
Tear the basil leaves into the sauce, then season with salt and pepper and also red wine vinegar if you wish.
To make the pasta bake:
When the sauce is ready, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add the pasta to the pot and cook according to the packet instructions.
Drain and toss half the pasta with the tomato sauce and a handful of parmesan sauce.
In an oven dish, add a little olive oil, add the pasta along with some tomato sauce a handful of parmesan cheese and one sliced-up mozzarella ball.
Repeat these layers until you have used up all the ingredients, but for the final layer add a good sprinkling of grated cheese on top.
Place in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden, crisp and bubbling, then take out of the oven and your tasty pasta bake is ready to serve.
